The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-01-13

per mile, and the industrial reformatory
commissioners the same, while the trus.
tees Of state charitable institutions anC
regents Of the three state schools receive
only ten cents per mile. This difference
is in keeping with the absurd system, but
cannot be explained or justified on any
reasonable hypothesis.
The mileage system Is unjust, demon
alizlng and vicious, and should be abol-
ished. Every member of state board
should be paid liberal per diem foT
services and necessary expenses while
travelling to or returning from meetings
Every provision of law which allows any
ofieer or employee OF the state mileage
payments, should be at once repealed.
THE PENITENTIARY.
The report Of the directors Of the pen
itentlary. including the reports of the
warden, superintendent ofcoal mine and
other officers Of that institution, are sub
mitted herewith. They present, in de-
tail, the condition and work OF the peni-
Tertiary during the last biennial period,
and furnish estimates OF its needs for the
fnture. The necessity for q female prison
and ward for the insane Is apparent.
The institution Is crowded beyond It's
capacity. On the first Of July, 1884, 1t
contained 751 prisoners; July 1st, 1885,
this number had increased to $40; July
i 1s II 1885, .DS to s6s ss, and .bs on the
Der was s64 There are only 700
cells in the institution, so that in each OF
Asa cells, two prisoners are placed.
The penitsntiary continues self-sus-
tanning. For the fiscal year ending June
80. 1885, the earnings aggregated $50,
1861; expenditures, $14S, 2O1 OF; excess
of earnings, S42, zoo SO. For the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1886, the earnings
aggregated 1920, 785.07; expenditures d,
$169, 579 II; excess Of earnings, $751;
205 36. Excess of earnings over expend-
lures during the two fiscal years, $685.
counted total of $45, 1904 for permA-
nentimprovements, SO that the earnings
OF the institution, during the last biennial
period, really exceeded its expenditures
$13S, 60029. the total cost OF maintain
ing the prisoners, including salaries,
boarding, clothing, bedding, and all other
expenses properly charged TO mAinten-
ance, has also been steadily reduced.
For 1870 it averaged 6o15 cents for each
prisoner; for 1875, SO S4-1OO cents; for
1880, Al $500 cents and for 1856, Al 2
cents.
The Kansas penitentIary is regarded
by students Of the penal and reformatory
institutions of the United States a. a
model prison. les discipline is firm, but
humane. The prisoners are well cared
for, both physically and morally. The
warden, Capt. John 81. Smith, has exhib
iEeO in his management OF the institution
the highest Qualities OF a prison eff ;ial-
thorough business capacity and untirinR
energy, com blinded with firmness and
.kindliness; and he has had in all his
OF the directors and the cordial co-Oper6-
ton of his subordinate officers.
THE STATE EXPLORATORY.
One wing of the new industrial reform
atorY at Hutchinson is nearly COM
pleted, and the legislature should
make provision for organizing ite
official force, and for the erection
of the administration and other neces-
sary buildings. In my special message
of 1886, l expressed my warm approval
of the purpose OF this institution, and my
belief that not one half Of the prisoners
sentenced TO confinement in the peniten-
tiary naturally belong to the criminal
classes. Their age, the nature of their
OHsnses, the light sentences imposed on
many of them, and the frequent appeals
made IL their behalf for executive Glenn
ency, by judges, prosecuting attorneys
and jurors, all justify the belief that hun
dreds OF these youthful law-breakerf
might, by q judiCfous course of discipline
and training, be reclaimed and reformed
l therefore regard the establishment OF
the industrial reformatory as marking 9
new era in the administration Of justice
and sincerely hope that the legislature
will make ample provisions for equip.
ping, opening and completing it. The
report of the reformatory commissioner
gives full Information concerning III
present condition and requirements
Authority of law should be given *
transfer to the reformatory, as soon as Il
is ready for their reception, certain
| classes of prisoners now confined in the
penitentiary,
THE TWO PENAL INSTITUTIONS.
The directors and warden of the penl
| Tertiary, as you viii observe by their re-
| ports, present facts showing the ne
cessity of an additional cell house at tina
| institution. There can be no question
concerning the necessity of an appropri
alton for that purpose, If it is not deemeC
advisable to provide the additional eel
room required at the reformatory, ant
| transfer to that institution, from the pen
| itentiary, several hundred prisoners
This would relieve the penitentiary, ant
] at the same time, ful4il the purpose 70
which the industrial rsformatOry hs
been established, viz /: to remove youths
| law breakers, and those convicted OF th
milder types of crime, from enforced ss
socistion with old and hardened crimi
nails.
The legislature should, during its pres
sent session, fully determine the charaC
ter and purposes, as well as the genera
plan and capacity, Of the two institutions
| direct what classes or grades OF law
breakers shall be sentenced 20 each; and
In brief, determine how each shall b
equipped, organized, managed and main
tanned.
The demand for additional room /
our penal Institutions does not indicat
or prove increasing criminality or law
| breaking. 1t is natural result OF tn
rapid growth of the state In population
Ia 1880 Kansas had only 800 900 lnhab
itants; our population to-day exceed
100000. The proportion Of criminal
per capita is not as great now IS IL VIC
six years ego. In 1880 the penitentiar
contained SOL prisoners, or one for ever
1,44l Inhabitants. The average numbe
in confinement during the fiseal year 16s
was S37, or one for every 1892 inhah
itants. And the demands for additions
room by our educational and charitabl
Institutions are larger and more impers
tive thsn are those for increased eel
room in our prisons.
THE SUPREME COURT.
A delay of justice ia often an absolu
denial of justice. The docket Of the 81
preme court is so Overburdened that,
many instances, long, expensive and ve1
) atious delays attend the final ediudIc
ton of cases brought before that trlbuns
. Nearly six hundred cases are now on
docket, and over thirty new cases O
6led ed b month. The thr'
: justices Constituting the court are u
able to dispose Of more thu
three hundred cases each year, and Il
undecided cases are, therefore, steadi
! increasing.
1t is evident that some relief chou
be afforded. When our eonstitl
ton was adopted Kansas b
only one hundred thousand 4
habitants, thirty-two organized ecu
3 ties, and ave Judicial district; we ha
: now 1900 900 Inhabitants, ninety-eiR
!, organised counties, and twenty.fo
9 judicial districts. Every order. deer
t or judgment entered in these infeFi
o courts, whether the amount involved
= large or small, can be taken 70 the Q
o preme court for review. When ali the
facts are considered, 1t must be appare
i that the justice OF the supreme court hs
= imposed upon them such labor6 IS, vi